Even the most infrequent Internet users have heard about #FakeNews. With the rise of social media, it’s become easier than ever to simply read a headline without fact checking to get the full story. Unfortunately, that leads to people believing false claims. When they share those inaccuracies with others, it only multiplies the damage done. As creative communications professionals, it’s our responsibility to do our due diligence and present the facts, the real kind.

In this episode, Joey and Kim head to the Austin American-Statesman to chat with Gardner Selby, editor of PolitiFact Texas, a website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and other folks who speak up in the vast world of American politics. PolitiFact loves hearing from the community, so give them a follow and a shout out on Twitter and snag a retweet. Who knows? Your claim just might get verified or debunked. We talk about the importance of fact-checking in journalism, how you can go about debunking a claim, and the ratio of truths to “Pants On Fire” stories on PolitiFact Texas’s site.

Gardner, Kim, and Joey also take a look at some salacious claims from the past, including one about an inmate on death row who may or may not have requested a child as his final meal. The trio put on their fact-checking hats to see if these stories have any validity to them.